Syria Says Saudis Sabotaging UN Plan by Arming Rebels

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rejected Russia’s claim that it’s a stabilizing influence on Syria and said that, by protecting the Assad regime, it’s speeding the country’s slide into civil war. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

June 1 (Bloomberg) -- Syria’s ambassador to Russia said
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are sabotaging a United Nations plan to
end a 15-month conflict by continuing to arm rebels in violation
of a cease-fire agreement reached in April.

“Weapons are entering Syria through its borders with
Lebanon and Turkey,” Riad Haddad said in an interview at the
Syrian embassy in Moscow today. “And these are heavy weapons.”

Lebanese authorities at the end of April seized a ship
originating in Libya that was carrying anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles destined for Syrian opposition groups, Haddad
said. While President Bashar al-Assad’s forces announced an end
to hostilities April 12, in line with the UN accord, violence
has persisted because rebels are pursuing attacks, Haddad said.

More than 10,000 people have died since the uprising
against Assad started in March last year, according to UN
estimates. That includes a massacre last week in Houla that
claimed 108 lives, 49 of them children, which the UN blames on a
pro-government militia. Syria says opposition forces carried out
the killings to provoke civil war and international
intervention. The U.S. and its allies expelled Syrian diplomats
to condemn the attack on Houla, near Homs.

“The key to a solution lies in the hands of those
countries which are supporting and financing terrorist groups,”
Haddad said. “They should state if they are against terrorism
and these groups and will stop financing them and support the
Annan plan.”

Houla Massacre

UN Special Envoy Kofi Annan, in the wake of the Houla
atrocity, called on Assad’s government and opposition forces to
halt the violence and abide by the cease-fire agreement.

“I also ask all states with influence to impress upon the
government and all parties the need for a cessation of violence
in all its forms, including the continuing human rights
abuses,” Annan told journalists in Damascus after meeting with
Assad on May 29, according to the UN’s website.

Both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have publicly voiced support
for arming the rebels. An official at Qatar’s embassy in Moscow
declined to comment on Syria’s claim that his government is
funneling weapons and money to the rebels, and nobody authorized
to speak on the record could be reached for comment at the Saudi
Embassy. Both countries are ruled by Sunni monarchies that are
at odds with mainly Shiite Iran, an ally of Syria.

U.S. Supplies

The U.S. is supplying medical and communications equipment
to rebels, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on
May 16. The Washington Post had reported that the U.S. is
helping to co-ordinate the provision of military material funded
by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states.

“The U.S. knows exactly what is going on, it supports
it,” said Haddad. He added that Turkey was also involved by
providing training for the armed Syrian opposition groups.

The mass killing in Houla hasn’t broken an impasse in the
UN Security Council, where Russia continues to block attempts to
impose more economic pressure or military action against Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday said Russia’s
stance on Syria is “propping up” Assad’s regime.

Russia says it favors a negotiated outcome in Syria similar
to the talks mediated by the Gulf Cooperation Council in Yemen
that paved the way for the departure of former President Ali
Abdullah Saleh and replacement by his deputy this year.

Yemeni Scenario

Assad isn’t ready to step down and Syria won’t accept a
solution similar to what happened in Yemen, said Haddad.

“President Assad enjoys a wide popularity in Syria and our
army supports him too and the leadership is conducting
reforms,” the Syrian envoy said. “So I completely rule out the
Syrian leadership accepting the Yemeni scenario.”

The massacre in Houla was carried out by several hundred
rebel gunmen, General Qassem Jamal Suleiman, who heads the
Syrian investigation into the killings, said yesterday.

The rebel assault started with the firing of two anti-tank
missiles that killed 31 members of the security forces stationed
outside of Houla, according to Haddad. “The main aim was to
cause the failure of the Annan plan and to provoke foreign
military intervention,” he said.